One Toy Story Not Going to Infinity and Beyond

Kids are the toughest, most demanding demographic to satisfy. They want -- no, need -- new toys to play with all the time. And for a long time, Toys R Us(TOY Quote) was a parent's primary source of all of the latest gadgets and high-tech video games.

But over the past several years, big-name discounters have started to steal its thunder. Companies like Kmart(KM Quote), Target(TGT Quote) and Wal-Mart(WMT Quote) now offer a vast selection of toys. And their prices are often far superior to those of Toys R Us.

Of course, this doesn't mean that the company lacks a niche. Truth is, if you need a deep selection, or if you are looking for a specific type of Barbie or G.I. Joe (say, the one with a Kung Fu grip), perhaps Toys R Us is your best bet. But any way you slice it, the company isn't the toy Mecca it used to be. ...